James Henry Govier
Encyclopedia
James Henry Govier was an English
painter born at Oakley, Buckinghamshire
.
He was the only son of Henry Govier and Mary Ann Measey. In 1914 the family moved to the small town of Gorseinon
in Gower near Swansea
, where James was educated at the local school. At the age of fourteen he left school to work in one of the local tin works. At the age of seventeen he became an evening student at the Swansea Art School
. James was taken to see Grant Murray
, the head of the School, and at the age of twenty gained the Glamorgan County Scholarship to study fulltime at the School. From 1930, James came under the influence of Grant Murray. James and exhibited with many Welsh artists, including Alfred Janes
, Ceri Richards
and Kenneth Hancock. In 1935 he exhibited with past students at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
in Swansea.
From 1935 James studied in London at the Royal College of Art
under the tutorship of Malcolm Osborne
, RA, RE. At this time he became an acquaintance of the poet Dylan Thomas
, and worked with other Welsh artists in London. In 1938 he gained his ARCA along with the Art Travelling Scholarship, which he was unable to take up because of the outbreak of war. From 1938 he worked as Malcolm Osborne’s assistant at the Royal College, and also helped Robert Austin
1940-1942.
In August 1940 he joined the Royal Engineers constructing gun emplacements and in the development of chemical warfare. In 1942 by order of the Air Ministry he was transferred to the Royal Air Force model making section for North Africa and Italy, producing models for the Dambuster raids, the D-Day landings and objectives in Africa and Italy.
James was demobilised in 1945 and started to exhibit with the Aylesbury and District Art Society, becoming an acquaintance of the Society’s patron Augustus John
. In 1947 he became Art Master at Eye
Grammar School in Suffolk and resided in Eye until his marriage in 1950. In 1950 he married Freda Muriel Tye of Hoxne, a student at Ipswich Art School specialising as a commercial display artist. The couple started married life in Hoxne and moved to ‘The Retreat’, a large thatched house in Hoxne in 1957. James continued to exhibit with the Aylesbury Art Society and Ipswich Art Club.
In 1965 the Eye Grammar School closed and James moved to Diss
Grammar School until his early retirement in 1972. James continued to produce oils and watercolours of East Anglia, including many genre subjects.
James Henry Govier died on December 21, 1974, leaving behind him a large variety of works from small, delicate pencil drawings and etchings to vibrant oils and translucent watercolours. Some of his canvasses are almost impressionistic in style, capturing the quality of the chiaroscuro he so frequently used.
James Henry Govier’s works can be seen at The National Museum of Wales; National Library of Wales
; The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
(Swansea); The British Museum; Ashmolean Museum
, Oxford; Christchurch Mansion
, Ipswich; Norwich Castle
Museum and Buckinghamshire County Museum
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
painter born at Oakley, Buckinghamshire
Oakley, Buckinghamshire
Oakley is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England of about 400 households with a population of 1,059 people and an area of...
.
He was the only son of Henry Govier and Mary Ann Measey. In 1914 the family moved to the small town of Gorseinon
Gorseinon
Gorseinon is a town in southwest Wales, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Swansea, around north west of the city centre...
in Gower near Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, where James was educated at the local school. At the age of fourteen he left school to work in one of the local tin works. At the age of seventeen he became an evening student at the Swansea Art School
Gower College Swansea
Gower College Swansea is the name of the further education college in Swansea, Wales, which was formed on 20th August 2010 from the merger of Gorseinon College and Swansea College Nick Bennett, the current principal of Gorseinon College, has been offered the post of principal at the new...
. James was taken to see Grant Murray
Grant Murray
Grant Robert Murray is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for Raith Rovers.Murray signed from Partick Thistle in the summer of 2009 having played for the Firhill side since the beginning of the 2003–04 season. His other previous teams are St...
, the head of the School, and at the age of twenty gained the Glamorgan County Scholarship to study fulltime at the School. From 1930, James came under the influence of Grant Murray. James and exhibited with many Welsh artists, including Alfred Janes
Alfred Janes
Alfred George Janes was a Welsh artist, who is also remembered as one of The Kardomah Gang; a group of bohemian friends that included the poets Dylan Thomas and Vernon Watkins, and the composer Daniel Jones....
, Ceri Richards
Ceri Richards
-Biography:Richards was born in the village of Dunvant, near Swansea, the son of Thomas Coslett Richards and Sarah Richards . He and his younger brother and sister, Owen and Esther, were brought up in a highly cultured, working-class environment...
and Kenneth Hancock. In 1935 he exhibited with past students at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is the public art gallery of the city of Swansea, Wales. The gallery is situated in Alexandra Road, near Swansea railway station, opposite the old Swansea Central Library and near Swansea Central police station...
in Swansea.
From 1935 James studied in London at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
under the tutorship of Malcolm Osborne
Malcolm Osborne
Malcolm Osborne was a British artist known for his prints of landscapes, urban views and portraits.-Chronology:*1 August 1880 born at Frome, Somerset, the fourth son of Alfred Arthur Osborne , Schoolmaster,-and his wife Sarah Elizabeth nee Biggs,...
, RA, RE. At this time he became an acquaintance of the poet Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
, and worked with other Welsh artists in London. In 1938 he gained his ARCA along with the Art Travelling Scholarship, which he was unable to take up because of the outbreak of war. From 1938 he worked as Malcolm Osborne’s assistant at the Royal College, and also helped Robert Austin
Robert Austin
Robert Austin led the Austin expedition of 1854, one of the first European inland explanations of Western Australia with Kenneth Brown. They explored Geraldton, Mount Magnet, and the Murchison River area.-References:...
1940-1942.
In August 1940 he joined the Royal Engineers constructing gun emplacements and in the development of chemical warfare. In 1942 by order of the Air Ministry he was transferred to the Royal Air Force model making section for North Africa and Italy, producing models for the Dambuster raids, the D-Day landings and objectives in Africa and Italy.
James was demobilised in 1945 and started to exhibit with the Aylesbury and District Art Society, becoming an acquaintance of the Society’s patron Augustus John
Augustus John
Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a short time around 1910, he was an important exponent of Post-Impressionism in the United Kingdom....
. In 1947 he became Art Master at Eye
Eye, Suffolk
Eye is a small market town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove.Eye is twinned with the town of Pouzauges in the Vendée Departement of France.-History:An island...
Grammar School in Suffolk and resided in Eye until his marriage in 1950. In 1950 he married Freda Muriel Tye of Hoxne, a student at Ipswich Art School specialising as a commercial display artist. The couple started married life in Hoxne and moved to ‘The Retreat’, a large thatched house in Hoxne in 1957. James continued to exhibit with the Aylesbury Art Society and Ipswich Art Club.
In 1965 the Eye Grammar School closed and James moved to Diss
Diss
Diss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...
Grammar School until his early retirement in 1972. James continued to produce oils and watercolours of East Anglia, including many genre subjects.
James Henry Govier died on December 21, 1974, leaving behind him a large variety of works from small, delicate pencil drawings and etchings to vibrant oils and translucent watercolours. Some of his canvasses are almost impressionistic in style, capturing the quality of the chiaroscuro he so frequently used.
James Henry Govier’s works can be seen at The National Museum of Wales; National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
; The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is the public art gallery of the city of Swansea, Wales. The gallery is situated in Alexandra Road, near Swansea railway station, opposite the old Swansea Central Library and near Swansea Central police station...
(Swansea); The British Museum; Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
, Oxford; Christchurch Mansion
Christchurch Mansion
Christchurch Mansion is a substantial Tudor brick mansion house within Christchurch Park on the edge of the town centre of Ipswich, Suffolk, England...
, Ipswich; Norwich Castle
Norwich Castle
Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. It was founded in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England when William the Conqueror ordered its construction because he wished to have a fortified place in the important city of...
Museum and Buckinghamshire County Museum
Buckinghamshire County Museum
The Buckinghamshire County Museum is a museum in the centre of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, England. It displays artefacts pertinent to the history of Buckinghamshire including geological displays, costume, agriculture and industry...